Chapter 5 - The Corrupt Badge
David rested his hand aggressively on his duty belt and glared at me with absolute contempt.
"Move your vehicle immediately, Nora, or I will arrest you for trespassing on private property," David ordered.
I locked my car doors and rolled the driver's window down just a tiny crack.
"I am not leaving this mountain without my daughter," I replied with steady, unwavering determination.
Ethan smiled and patted his older brother affectionately on the shoulder.
"She is entirely delusional, David, perhaps she needs a padded room inside with Maya," Ethan mocked.
David pulled a pair of heavy steel handcuffs from his belt and tapped them against my glass window.
"Step out of the car right now, Nora, you are officially under arrest," David commanded loudly.
I knew he had absolutely no jurisdiction at a private hospital, but he was using his shiny badge to intimidate me.
"You are an active accessory to a massive wire fraud conspiracy, David," I stated calmly.
David's arrogant smirk faltered for a fraction of a second before he recovered his composure.
I held up the printed banking records from the offshore shell company for him to see.
"Your name is explicitly listed as a secondary beneficiary on the Cayman Islands account," I revealed.
Ethan turned to look at his brother with a sudden, intense flash of panic in his eyes.
"What exactly is she talking about, David?" Ethan asked nervously.
I realized then that Ethan did not actually know his brother was secretly stealing from their own scam.
"David has been skimming money from your offshore accounts for months," I lied smoothly, planting a seed of doubt.
David's face turned bright red as he violently pounded his fist against my car window.
"She is making it all up, Ethan, do not listen to this crazy old woman!" David yelled.
The distraction worked perfectly, causing the two brothers to begin arguing fiercely on the pavement.
Before their violent argument could escalate, three unmarked black SUVs roared up the mountain road.
State troopers poured out of the vehicles with their hands resting securely on their weapons.
Marcus, the state attorney general, stepped out of the lead vehicle wearing a crisp, tailored suit.
"Officer David Whitman, hand over your badge and your service weapon immediately," Marcus ordered loudly.
David froze, realizing his corrupt reign of terror had just come to a sudden and permanent end.
The state troopers quickly placed both Ethan and David in heavy steel handcuffs.
Marcus walked over to my car and gave me a highly reassuring nod.
"We are going inside to get Maya right now," Marcus promised sincerely.
May you like
I rushed into the medical facility behind the troopers, desperate to find my child.
But when we kicked open the door to her assigned room, the hospital bed was completely empty.
